Friday, August 10, 2012

‘Have fun’ while adhering to Islamic teachings...

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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful; blessings and peace be upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
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Reflection
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The Declining Day (Al-'Asr)
1. By the declining day,
2. Lo! Man is in a state of loss,
3. Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort
one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.
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AFTER attending perhaps more than a thousand religious classes (tazkirah) in several masjids near my house during the short interval between maghrib and isyak prayers; I have learned some ‘fine aspects’ of Islam rarely spoken about openly by ‘ustazs’ (religious teacher).
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For example, one night an ustaz told congregators at a masjid: “You would be rewarded handsomely if you hold your wife’s hand affectionately; some of your sins would fall off; you would also be rewarded if you look into your wife’s eyes lovingly; kissed her on the cheeks and bla…bla...”
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Sex between husband and wife is an act of worship, ibadah. A Muslim would be rewarded when he practices this act, as he is rewarded when he does any other acts of prescribed types of worship. Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) alluded to this concept when he said, which reads as follows: “[A Muslim] would have an intercourse with his spouse ad would be rewarded for it. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: Oh Messenger of Allah! A person would be rewarded while satisfying his sexual need? Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied: Yes. Isn't it that he would be punished had he practiced sex illegally? The same applies if a Muslim practiced a lawful intercourse with his spouse. As such, he would be rewarded.” (Ahmad)
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If a husband or wife does something to please his/her spouse which is in line with the teaching of Islam, then he/she would be rewarded. The Prophet s.a.w. for example challenged his young wife, Aisyah for a race and at times he would put his head on her lap. ‘Have fun’ with your spouse, and Allah SWT would reward you handsomely. Rasulullah s.a.w. said: "The best of women is one that pleases her husband when he glances at her; obeys him when he commands her and does not oppose him and displease him in matters regarding her body and wealth."
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There are many more hadiths regarding ‘the fun’ between the wife and husband that would be rewarded by Allah SWT. Surely the wife would be pleased if her husband is helpful because the Prophet s.a.w. had said: "By assisting your wives in their household matters you men receive the reward of sadaqah." But in today’s modern world, many men refused to do house chores; perhaps many of them are not equipped with this knowledge of ‘the fine aspects’ of Islamic teaching.
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Wonderful rewards are waiting for the righteous wife; for example Rasulullah s.a.w. said: "The woman that does her domestic chores attains the rank of those upholding Jihad." He s.a.w. also said: "The woman who prays her 5 prayers, fasts in the month of Ramadan, protects her chastity and is obedient to her husband; such a woman will enter into Jannah from any of the doors she wishes to enter from."
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In other hadith, the Prophet said: "The woman that is obedient and subservient to her husband; the birds in the air, fish in the sea, angels in the sky and animals in the jungles seek forgiveness for her." After her sins have been forgiven her stages are elevated.
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Rasulullah s.a.w. also said: "0 women! Remember, those who are pious and upright amongst you they will enter Jannah before the pious men. These women will then be bathed, perfumed, and presented to their husbands on red and yellow mounts. They will have such children with them who will resemble scattered pearls."
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Rasulullah s.a.w. also said: "Does it not please you that when you conceive from your husband while he is pleased with you then that woman will receive such reward equal to that of a person fasting in the path of Allah and spending the night in worship; then when her labour pain commences the inhabitants of the earth and the sky are unaware of the stores of comfort that are prepared for her; when she delivers and breastfeeds her child then she will be granted a reward for every gulp of milk; and if she had to remain awake during the night for the sake of her child she will receive the reward of emancipating seventy slaves in the path of Allah. O Salamat! do you know who these women are? They are pious, upright, delicately natured but yet are obedient to their husbands and not ungrateful to them."
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And to women out there; one night during a ‘tazkirah’ I heard an ustaz mentioned this: “It is okay for a wife to steal from her husband!” He said this act is allowed if her husband is a stingy person who does not provide enough for her ‘nafkah’ (livelihood expenses).
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The ustaz also stirred commotion among congregators when he said: “A husband has to pay personal ‘nafkah’ for his wife so that she could buy personal items such as toiletries even though the wife is working and having her own income. I believe many of you do not do it. You would be asked by God in the Hereafter for this failure, but I could show you a way out…but I will tell you in class next week!” (The way out is by pleading clearance and forgiveness from one’s wife for not providing that ‘nafkah’).
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Yes, Islam is truly a religion or the only way of life from The Creator Himself. Imagine while ‘having fun’, one would be rewarded handsomely. In fact almost all of our actions would be rewarded (given ‘pahala’) by Allah The Mighty if they are done according to laws of Islam.
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For example sleeping is just part and partial of our daily activities but when ones sleep by mentioning the name of Allah SWT (Bismillaah-hir-raHmaa-nir ra-Him which means ‘In the name of Allah, The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful) and having good intention (niat) such as “I would be stronger to do my ‘ibadah’ after sleeping” or “please Allah give me the energy and strength so that I could wake up in early morning (about 3.00 am) to perfom my night (tahajjud, taubat and witir) prayers, then our sleep would be rewarded by Allah SWT. Imagine by having a good sleep you are recorded to have done a good deed! Isn’t that fun?
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If sleeping as a ‘fun activity’ is rewarded by Allah SWT, a Muslim who is also active in sports would gets Allah SWT blessing. In his Hadith, the Prophet s.a.w., commands Muslims saying: “Teach your children swimming, archery and horse-riding.” This direct call to practice sports shows the great importance Islam places on sports in training the Muslims and making their bodies healthy and sound. It is no wonder also to hear the saying: “A sound mind is in a sound body.”
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If a Muslim developed interest in the games stated by the Prophet; then by getting involved in these ‘fun activities’ he/she would be rewarded handsomely by Allah SWT. But of course one has to adhere to the teaching of Islam; if a female swimmer wears skimpy swimsuit in a public pool, then she against the teaching of Islam and would be punished heavily in the Hereafter. Well, there are ways for women to enjoy this activity without jeopardizing their ‘iman’ (faith) such as by having separate pools for the sexes. A few countries such as Iran and UAE have already this facilitiy.
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Well, you are having so much fun doing things you loved such as swimming and horse riding, yet at the same time you are being rewarded by Allah SWT for following the Prophet’s ‘sunnah’ (way of living). Isn’t that a real beauty of Islam?
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Then there are things that you are not required to do anything about but just by looking at them, then you would be rewarded by Allah SWT. Among them are looking at the faces of your parents lovingly, looking at the Qur’an, looking at the Ka’abah, and looking at zam-zam water!
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Truly, Allah has made Islam a perfect religion, as a guidance for human being to live in a perfect happy life in this word and Hereafter; the Qur’an says: “Allah desireth for you ease, He desireth not hardship for you.” (2:185)
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But as usual human beings complicate life, thus living in this world is full of misery; the ‘fun of living’ was robbed from us!